Jamie Brodie Mystery 10 - Avenged to Death by Meg Perry

Author:Meg Perry [Perry, Meg]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-11-30T16:00:00+00:00

After lunch, Pete got busy in the kitchen doing prep work for our meals for the coming week. I dusted and vacuumed the house then decided to get some fresh air. I went out front and examined our herb beds, spotted a few weeds, and squatted down to pull them. I was still rooting around in the dirt when a voice said, “Hello?”

I looked up to see a woman standing there. She looked close to my dad’s age. She was petite, with short but stylish silver-blond hair, dressed in a long skirt, t-shirt and vest, wearing ballet flats, carrying a large bag. I scrambled to my feet. “Can I help you?”

Her expression shifted from curiosity to recognition. “Jamie.”

“Do I know you?”

She smiled tightly and held out her hand. “I’m Marie Crabtree.”

“Oh.” I brushed the dirt off and shook her hand - which was cold. “I’m - uh - hi.”

Her smile didn’t waver. “I’m sorry to come unannounced. I was in Oceanside and stopped to see Belinda, and she mentioned that you’d been to see her.”

“Yes, ma’am. Um - would you like to come in?”

“If I’m not interrupting. I don’t want to disrupt your plans.”

I gestured to the plants. “I’ve just finished. Come on in.”

I led Marie into the living room and said, “Pete? We have company.”

He stuck his head around the cabinets to look down into the living room. “Oh?” He picked up a dish towel and came downstairs, drying his hands.

I said, “Mrs. Crabtree, this is my fiancé, Pete Ferguson. Pete, this is Marie Crabtree. One of my mom’s friends.”

“Oh. Oh.” Pete held out his hand. “Glad to meet you, Mrs. Crabtree.”

“You too, Pete. And please call me Marie. I told Jamie, I don’t want to interrupt your day.”

Pete gestured to the kitchen. “I’m in the middle of chopping some vegetables.”

“Don’t let me keep you from your chopping.”

I said, “Can I get you anything to drink? Iced tea?”

“Yes, thank you.”

I followed Pete upstairs and got Marie a glass of tea. “Please, sit down.”

She looked around. “This is lovely. Have you lived here long?”

I said, “I’ve been here nearly three years. Pete lived here before that. It belonged to his great-uncle.”

“Ah.” Marie smiled again, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I thought perhaps you’d already been out spending some of that money.”

I smiled back, thinking, Even if you were my mom’s friend, that’s none of your business. “No, ma’am.”

“Belinda tells me that you’re a librarian at UCLA.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“That must be so interesting.” She sipped her tea, but her eyes never left me.

“Most days, yes.” I wished Pete would come downstairs. There was something off about Marie Crabtree, but I couldn’t identify it.

She reached over and laid her hand on my arm. Her hand was clammy. “And how is your dad?”

I had the growing feeling that I shouldn’t tell this lady anything. “He’s fine.”

I heard the refrigerator door open and close, and Pete came downstairs. “There we go.” He sat beside me - between me and the loveseat where Marie had perched - and beamed at her.

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